Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
TWENTY-SECOND YEAR.
EDWARD LYMAN BILL,
EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR.
J . B. S P I L L A N E , MANAGING EDITOR.
EMILIE
Executive Staff
:
FRANCES
BAUER,
THOS. CAMPBELL-COPELAND
WALDO E. LADD
GEO.
W. QUERIPEL
A. J. NICKLIN
Pnhllsltefl Every Saturday at 3 East I4th Street, New Yorfc
SUBSCRIPTION (including postage), United States, Mexico
and Canada, $2.00 per year ; all other countries, $4.00.
ADVERTISEMENTS, $2.00 per inch, single column, per
insertion. On quarterly or yearly contracts a special discount
is allowed. Advertising Pages $50.00, opposite reading matter
$75°°-
REMITTANCES, in other than currency form, should be
made payable to Edward Lyman Bill.
Entered at the New York Post Office as Second Class Matter.
~
NEW YORK, TlARCH 16, 1901.
^TELEPHONE NUMBER, 1745—EIQHTEENTH STREET.
On the first Saturday of each month The
Review contains in its "Artists Department"
all the current musical news. This is effected
without in any way trespassing on the size or
service of the trade section of the paper. It has
a special circulation, and therefore augments
materially the value of The Review to adver-
tisers.
INTEREST AROUSED.
INDISPUTABLE evidence is at hand
proving that The Review campaign of
agitation anent the catalogue houses is
bringing about results. There is no better
way to kill or cure an evil than by publi-
city, and when we began this cam-
paign we did not expect to accomplish sur-
prising results unless we had the senti-
ment of the trade with us. There are
men who months ago looked upon the
catalogue houses with indifference, to-day
are asking, What is the cure? How shall
we get at it?
When we reach that point it means that
interest is aroused, and it is only a ques-
tion as to when it shall generate in suffi-
cient volume to apply the key to fit the
situation.
We have already given what in our opin-
ion has been the strongest factor in per-
mitting the catalogue houses to gain a
foothold in the hitherto exclusive realm of
the music dealers. We only reaffirm it
here, because we are anxious to drive that
nail home to the hearts of the dishonest
music dealer who has sold the cheap piano
at dishonest prices, at prices which should
entitle the purchaser to have become pos-
sessed of an instrument embodying a fixed
value and with a reputation behind it.
It has been this line of campaign work
which has given the catalogue houses their
innings, and unless the piano dealer com
pletely realizes this, and changes his tactics
accordingly, the business of the catalogue
houses will grow until it will practically
engulf—first the small music dealer and
then gradually others will be forced to
succumb.
Some suggest that a regular boycott
should be established upon the manufac-
turers who supply the catalogue houses
with instruments. A boycott has never
been popular in America, but still it is
necessary sometimes to adopt strong meas-
ures for self-protection, and unquestion-
ably, the men who are adding strength to
•the forces of the catalogue man are the
ones who are supplying them with pianos
under various names.
It cannot be reasonably expected that a
dealer will continue to buy instruments of
a man who is supplying the catalogue
house in order that he might cut the deal-
er's throat in his own territory. A man is
not fond of contributing to forces the
ascendency of which mean ruin to him.
But one dealer unsupported would cut
but little figure, and the manufacturer
could afford to pass him by; hence the
necessity of organization among the deal-
ers.
If a manufacturers' organization is
desirable, then a national organization of
dealers is also desirable. Similar organi-
zations exist in other trades. In every
State hardware dealers have an association.
They have found it beneficial to their in-
terests in every way, and the piano dealers
will see the necessity of organization more
and more; that is, if they are completely
alive to their own interests.
osition altogether. Goods and money are
practically the same thing. That is to
say, whenever credit is extended to a cus-
tomer it is the actual equivalent of lending
that customer so much money. If the in-
terest clause existed in all contracts it
would be good business, sound business.
MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS ABROAD.
T O those who are interested in the steady
growth of our export trade in musical
instruments, a perusal of our special re-
port in a neighboring portion of this paper
will be of exceeding interest. Some of
the figures prove that while we are not
making the advance which we should in
our piano and organ trade abroad, we are
showing astonishing growth in small goods
and specialties, such as piano-players, etc.
The decrease in imports for the seven
months ending January was $111,095. The
decrease for the month of January alone
was $31,707. Our export trade increased
for the seven months ending January was
$281,293, but the first month of the new
century, however, was a record breaker in
exports. We show in it an increase for
one month of $127,586, and a correspond-
ing decrease of imports of $31,707 would
mean that we have a trade balance in our
favor to the amount of $158,293 in excess
We are to have a big music trade congress of the corresponding month of 1900.
here in this city in May. Dealers will be
As a matter of fact the business in pi-
invited, and what more auspicious time to anos which we are now doing abroad
organize the inceptive move of a dealers' is disappointing, but the American piano
national association?
manufacturer has not yet given serious at-
It is never well to wait until the storm tention to the building up of foreign trade.
is on before we seek shelter. The storm As we stated years ago, this branch of the
is coming, and it is coming in the guise of business would not show a rapid increase
the catalogue-house man. It might be until the American manufacturer built
wise for the dealer to anticipate this storm such pianos as citizens of other countries
and prepare a little shelter; it will not pay desired. In other words, to follow out the
to be too indifferent. Wait and see if our same principle that Germany and England
words are not prophetic.
have in building up their world-wide trade.
In South America almost every German
THE INTEREST CLAUSE.
T S it good business to sell pianos without or English Consul is a commercial
agent for each country. In cloths, or
the interest clause being introduced?
different
articles of personal wear he sends
Many customers little realize that when
they are purchasing instruments on the to the merchants in his own countries sam-
installment plan they are really bor- ples which the people want in those coun-
rowing money, and the dealer who sells tries, and the foreign manufacturer equips
them does not always realize that he is his traveling agent with just such articles
loaning money in giving the extended as the citizens of those countries are in the
habit of purchasing, not what is worn in
credit which he does.
Of course, the reply is readily made that Germany, but what is worn in South
he can afford this, because he includes a America. Now in pianos, instead of build-
fair interest allowance in his retail price. ing- the large imposing American instru-
It would be a great deal better to separate ments, if we would build the small, plain
cases after the European model, then
them.
we could commence to enlarge our busi-
That is one great error of the credit sys-
ness on a basis of real piano expansion.
tem, and is responsible for much of the
A number of manufacturers will prob-
vexation and loss which it causes. Should
a customer call upon a tradesman and re- ably have special instruments designed for
quest a loan of money the latter would export trade, on exhibition at the Pan-
hesitate, and yet he seems to think to let American Exposition, in Buffalo, and the
him have credit for goods is another prop- new century will mark a rapid increase in